ReTurn to the Labyrinth
by Jean McNeice
Summary: Full Summary Inside.


::Good day I've been wanting to do a Labyrinth story for a while, but I've never really had any idea on how to start one, then it hit me. It doesn't go with the "Labyrinth Rules" I read a year ago, but me being me, rules were meant to be broken. Well at least these/

I'm manly going with the book, instead of the movie, since Xena still has it, grrrrrrrrr.

::You'll get it back.::

::Yeah in the next life.::

So anywhoo, I decided to start this and see what you all think and if I should continue it.

I start new stories, so I can get new ideas for the ones I already have. I promise you, they will get done, some time in this life.

But yeah, I'll let you go and hope you all enjoy this. Oh before I forget, for more Labyrinth stories check out Cormak3230, she's on my faves list. She's good, I mean really, really good. Some things I've sort of borrowed from her, so just to let you know. R&R JM::

Full Summary/BackGround Info::

It's been a little over ten years since Sarah defeated the Goblin King, Jareth, at his own game. As time past she called upon her friends less and less until she stopped calling them all together. Almost three years have passed since she married Johnathien, and ten months since she returned from the hospital with the twins Valiant and Valirly.

Finally being able to go out, Sarah hires then nineteen-year-old girl next door, Joan R. Jones. She's not popular, not the smartest and on the point of being the town outcast. Seeing herself in Joan, Sarah decided to give her a chance.

Joan being into fairy tales and fantasy, Sarah gives her all of her old toys, costumes and books, all but a certain little red book, hidden away from the light of day. Until one stormy, durry night, Joan stumbles upon it, while trying to get to the fuse box. Not knowing what it was, stashed it in her pocket and forgot about it, until later the next day. Since then she had been unable to put it down. She's read it over and over until she knew every word, but still read it.

This is where our story begins.

Man in the Mirror.

Dust fell upon this sleepy little town, everyone living for the day and forgetting about the past, all, but a nineteen-year-old. She, a nothing to no one, but something to those who know her. She was in her light blue colored room, wearing a beautiful dark blue gown and reciting the words from her favorite book.

"Give me the child." Joan whispered, her eyes closed as she pictured a beautiful scene behind them, "Through dangers untold and hardship unnumbered………" She took a couple of steps forward, her bare feet appearing under the dark blue gown she wore over her jeans. "…..I have fought my way her to the castle, beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen." She opened her eyes and stared at a doll, she made into the Goblin King. A black crown on the head, dark gray clock over a black shirt, the chest open. Black nylon, she borrowed from her mom, and black Barbie boots. "For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great……"

Ring, ring, ring.

Joan shot around and stared at her phone, wondering if she really did hear it ring?

Ring, ring, ring.

"Damn." She cursed as the mood broke again, and this time stayed broken.

Joan walked across her room and answered the black cordless.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Joan?" A girl's voice asked.

"Duh, it is my phone." Joan laughed.

"Right, right, so can you come out tonight?"

"Sorry, Alexz, I've got to baby-sit the twins tonight." Joan answered.

"Ok, well then how about I come by and help you out?"

"Uh? Well I don't know, Sarah, might, but I don't really know, come by in about half an hour and we'll ask. Sound cool?"

"Yeah, that's cool see ya."

"Hup see ya."

Joan hung up the phone and sighed, there goes her plans of reading the Labyrinth again tonight.

"Oh well." She grinned, "I can always play it in my head." She added, closing her eyes again and pictured the Goblin King.

Bong,……………. bong,…………. bong,…………. bong,…………. bong,………. bong.

Her eyes flew open as the old Grandfather clock, struck six times.

"By the Gods." Joan shot as she flew the gown off and started to gather her bath things. She ran out of the room, caring them, but quickly returned as she forgot something, which was unforgotable. She stormed over to her bed and pulled a little red book from under her pillow. "Didn't think I'd forget about you, did ya?" Joan questioned as she brought the book up to her chest and sighed, "I wish you were real."

Worlds away, maybe dimensions? No one really knows. A miserable king locked himself away in his castle, with only his subjects for company. That is, if you'd call them subjects. Out-cast by his own kind, and only talked to by them, if they needed something from him.

For the past ten years, things never returned to the way it all once was. The realm of the Goblin King; business, trade, treaties and even the Labyrinth had started to whither and die. And it's all thanks to one mortal. The infamous mortal Sarah Williams.

The king was in the dirty, messy throne room. Goblins everywhere lined the floors and continued to clutter the place, without a second thought, which is rare. Heels hitting stone, echoed through out the room and down the corridors, but of course, wasn't paid any mind to. The owner who was making the noise was the King. He was once again pacing, back and forth, in front of his throne. A large crystal ball, about four feet in diameter, hovered a few feet above the noisy, messy Goblins. A woman in her mid twenties, long black hair, dark eyes and fair faced grinned. She was washing dishes as a man, about the same age, short brown hair and blue eyes. They played out a scene on the crystal. The man quietly entered the kitchen and stopped behind the woman, wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss on her cheek, of course making the woman jump.

"Damn it." The King shot, grabbing a small near by Goblin and threw it at the crystal. The crystal popped and knocked the Goblin out cold as it hit a few others. "How can she let him touch her like that?" He muttered as he threw himself down on his throne, replaying the scene again and again in his head. An ache, he knew a little too well, crawled its way once again in his chest. The girl he loved was well out of his reach. She had grown up without him, married and bore twins for her new love. There was and never will there be, a place for him in her heart.

"_I wish you were real." _

Those words boomed into the chamber and all at once the goblins stopped what they were doing. Their king must have heard those words, but he lounged on his throne and made no movement. Then as if told to, the king flicked his arm and waved his wrist. Another large crystal appeared to replace the last. With another wave of his hand, a scene appeared, it wasn't of a dark haired woman, no this scene was of a young teenage girl. She opened the bathroom door and entered; the king watched her and took in her form. She was easily in her late teens, shoulder length hair, about 5,5, and full figured. As she looked, her eyes, ocean blue, for a second went dull as she laid the red book; she held to her chest on the counter and stared into the mirror.

"Where are you?" She whispered, a look of loneliness crawled its way over her face. "Where are you…………my Goblin King?"

The king chocked on his wine, a servant gave him. Did he really hear what he thought he did? The girl in the crystal looked away from the mirror and started to undress. The king dimmed the scene to give her some peace. He looked away and again heard her words.

"Must have been my thoughts running away on me?" He thought, but then he looked back at the crystal.

He noticed the gold lettering on the red book, she laid on the counter. He zoomed the view in and again chocked on his wine, as he read the word, Labyrinth.

"Can't be?" He whispered and then noticed the owners name under the title, Sarah Williams. The ache again entered his heart. "She just gave it away?" he said to no one. "Why, Sarah, why?" He closed his eyes and fought back the ache. He knew Sarah never returned his love, but to just give the book away? The one thing that brought them to meet, and for her to defeat him?

The bathroom scene brightened as Joan wrapped a towel around her. The king opened his eyes and watched her dry her hair and throw the towel in the dirty cloths hamper. She walked over to the foggy mirror, with her back to him and began to wipe the steam away from the glass. As she did so, she started to hum a song that popped in her head and then started to sing the words.

The king was amazed at the sound of her voice, and how she played with the notes. He stared into her eyes and for a moment it seemed she was staring back at him.

Suddenly she stopped singing. A look of fear flooded her face, but anger clouded her eyes.

He wondered what happened and then noticed the reason. He looked over her right shoulder and stared into his own eyes. The throne room, him, goblins and all reflected in the mirror and for a few seconds, nothing, not even the goblins moved.

"Who in the bloody hell……?" Joan snapped, turning around, but saw nothing but the light green wallpaper. "Are……….you?" She finished her voice dying as she realized that nothing was there. She looked back into the mirror again, only to see her own reflection. "Get a hold of yourself Joan." She muttered and looked down at the Labyrinth book she 'borrowed' from Sarah. "Weird, but must have been my mind playing tricks on me."

Bong………..bong……….bong…………bong…………bong………..bong………..bong.

"Oh on, it's seven o'clock." Joan gasped; she spent too much time in the shower.

Joan finished getting ready, still she thought about the man in the mirror. She couldn't shake him from her mind. Much of the scene had dissolved, all but his miss-match eyes.

"Forget about it." She whispered as she stepped up on Sarah's porch and rang the bell.

A minute or so later, Sarah opened the door and greeted Joan with a warm smile.

"Evening Joan."

"Like wise. Sorry I'm late, took to long in the shower." Joan replied as Sarah moved back and let Joan in.

"That's quite alright." Sarah said, "John and I have just got the twins to sleep. So you and Alexzya wont have any problems."

"Alexz? She's here?"

"Yeah I'm here. I've been here since six thirty." Alexzya's voice echoed from the kitchen.

She walked out, holding a slice of cheese pizza and stopped in front of Joan. She was a year younger than Joan, a couple of inches taller, long brown/blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore an American flag bandana in her hair, red t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

"See ya, already got into the pizza." Joan joked.

"So? You weren't here, when the food arrived and I was hunger…….."

"Yeah, yea, I know you Alexz." Joan laughed cutting Alexz off in mid-sentence.

"Shut up."

"Make me Pip."

"Uh, no Merry."

"So are you two going to spar tonight?" Sarah questioned, before Joan and Alexz could get into it.

"Uhm, I guess if Alexz wants to." Joan answered, walking past Sarah and into the kitchen.

"Sure I don't mind, just made sure the twins are asleep and have the monitor on."

"Cool." Joan grinned, "So when will you and Johnny going to be home?"

"Midnight." John's voice answered from up the stairs.

"Don't worry; we'll be back before then." Sarah replied as she stepped into the kitchen and started to put the clean dishes away.

"I can do that Sar!" Alexz said as she stopped next to her.

"Um on it's ok, I'm almost done."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Sarah sighed and looked a little sad.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Alexz questioned lending over to look her in the eye.

"Oh I can't find something that was/is really special to me." Sarah answered.

"What was it?"

"A very special book."

"A book?"

"Yeah, it was a book, that sort of made me who I am today." Sarah said placing the last bowl in the cumbered and put the towel in the hamper.

"OH what's that?"

Sarah lifted her head and stared at Alexz.

"Nothing, we don't have time." Sarah replied and quickly left the kitchen.

"Weird." Alexz muttered and followed after Sarah, and found Joan in the living room. She was pulling out two swords, a pair of Sais and a wooden staff, out of a wooden chest.

"Hey Alexz, you want the long or short sword?" Joan asked, unsheathing a 27" blade, 12" hilt Japanese Katana and grinned. The Katana's hilt was black wrapped in red silk. The sheath was black with a white tiger running through a plain of tall yellow grass. The Sais were two feet long, hilt matched the Katana, with black wrapped in red silk.

"I'll take the short sword. The long ones don't like me." Alexz answered.

"You just don't know who to use them," Joan replied sheathing the Katana and hooked it to her black belt. She reached in and pulled out a short sword, two feet in length, the sheath was pitch black and lined with dark purple silk on the edges. Also Joan handed her a six foot long black wooden staff.

"Thanks." Alexz grinned as she unsheathed the sword and hooked the sheath to her red belt. The short sword had a beautiful Tornado running down the blade and two lighting bolts jetting from the finger guard crossing the Tornado and ending at the tip. "Go easy on me Joan."

"Why?" Joan smirked, unsheathing the Katana again and pointed it at Alexz's throat.

"Because…………." Alexz started staring down the blade. "You're use to this, I'm not. Remember? I just started using swords, and you've been doing this your whole life."

"So?"

"Joan!"

"Oh don't worry, I wont hurt you…………………………much."

"Joan!!!!!!!!"

"I'm messen," Joan joked, pulling the Katana blade away from Alexz's throat and started to pose.

"Ok girls….." Sarah's voice echoed from the front door." We'll be back around midnight." She added. "The numbers are on the Fridge, call if anything happens."

"Kay." Joan and Alexz yelled after them and heard the front door open and close.

"Ok, Alexz. Meet me outside, I have to see if the twins are asleep, before we start sparring."

"Right." Alexz replied and headed out the back door.

Joan watched her leave, before she went upstairs to the main bedroom. She slowly opened the door and peeked inside, they were fast asleep.

"Now where are they?" She questioned as she tiptoed into the bedroom and scanned over the dresser and bed. "Ah, there." She whispered, finally finding what she was looking for. Two small white baby monitors, charged on the shelf. Joan quietly walked over to them and unplugged the charger. Slowly she took then off and turned them on. Joan walked over to the window and opened it. She then walked out on the balcony and spotted Alexz.

"Psssssssssssss, Alexz?" Joan whispered in a scream.

Alexz almost dropped the staff on her foot as she turned towards Joan.

"What!?"

"Shhhhhhhhh, they're asleep." Joan snapped and held up a monitor. "Here, catch."

Alexz walked over under the balcony and Joan threw down the monitor. Alexz, not being ready, dropped the monitor to the ground and a high-pitched squeal pierced the still night.

"Shite." Joan groaned as the twins started to wail. "Way to go Pip."

"Sorry."

"Right,………….well I'll be down in a minute." Joan muttered and walked back in the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Almost fifteen minutes have passed and Joan still couldn't get the balling twins to hush.

"Damn." Joan snarled as she flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes. "Why wont you two go to sleep?" Suddenly, she remembered. She stood up an dug through her pockets. "Yes. "She grinned as she pulled out a small red book. "Lets see what you two think of this." She replied and opened it up.

"Once there was a beautiful young girl." Joan started, "She was your ideal girl, but for one thing. Her evil stepmother hated her for being so beautiful. So the evil step-mother forced the young girl to cook and clean." Joan paused and continued. "Then not long after, the evil step-mother gave birth to a son. The young girl was then forced to stay home and take care of the boy." Joan stopped, she could have sworn she just seen a large white owl, fly by the window, but then again, they were next to a woods.

"But somewhere far, far away(::a/n in a galaxy, far, far away, opps sorry, wrong story. ::) a lonely king heard the young girls cries for freedom and soon after found himself in love with her. So after receiving word from the king, the young girl decided that soon she would use the spell he had given her, so she could finally be freed from her life and world….." Joan paused as she looked up from the book and up at the twins, they were starting to fall to sleep and so she continued. "So after, she was finally ready to use it. After a long days of house work and hurt by the curl words of her stepmother, she said the words………the words. I wish………….I wish, the Goblin King would come and take you away right Now."

Suddenly the lighting from the storm, that just appeared, struck the house and the house went pitch-black.

"Man not again." Joan sighed as she closed the book and stood up. "Damn, I can't see a bloody thing." She muttered as she made her way to the crib. Then she realized that something just wasn't quite right. "Valiant? Valirly? Why aren't you two crying?" She questioned as a wave of fear went through her body as she reached the crib and found only sheets. "Shit." Joan held up the monitor to her mouth." Pippin?

"What?"

"Um…….I uh……….think you should um come up here."

"Why?"

"Well um………I uh………….think I um…….wished the twins away."

"What? How in the hell can you do that?"

"I'll explain when you get up here."

"All right, hang on."

Joan laid the monitor on a near by table and stumbled back to the bed.

The minutes seemed like years, until finally Alexz came through the door, stubbing her toe on the table.

"Ouch, shit."

"Don't do that." Joan laughed.

"Shut up." Alexz snapped, hopping onto the bed and glared at Joan, "What did you do?"

"Well, like I said, I think I wished the twins away?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I read from this book to them." Joan answered holding up the red book. "I didn't want to wish them away, I was just reading them a harmless story."

"Well, it's not as harmless as you thought."

"I figured that much out." Joan muttered. "Sarah is going to kill me."

"No, she's not going to kill you……" Alexz paused, "I'm going to kill you." She yelled as she went for Joan's neck.

"Ahhhhhh!" Joan screamed, ducking from Alexz's grip and rolled onto the floor.

"Get back here."

"Oh, no." Joan panicked as she struggled to get to her feet, but instead of standing up, she ran right into a pair of legs.

They were in pitch-black knee high boats, connected to a pair of legs, in gray tights. Joan slowly looked up the legs and into the face of a man. His mitch-match eyes glared back down into hers and Joan soloed hard. He looked so familiar…….then it hit her, he was the same man in the mirror.

::Whoa this is really long, but hey it works. Sorry for the cliffy, but this is as for as I got. I'm working on the next chapter, but I have to watch/or read the story again, to figure out how Jareth talks and acts. I have it in my head, I just can't bring it out on paper. Well aynywhoo, hoped you liked it and please R&R JM::


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